Chambers to stay busy at Legislature

POSTED: 09:35 MDT Thursday, December 20, 2007

by Brad Carlson

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Tags - Boise Chamber, Idaho Chamber Alliance

Chambers of commerce in the Treasure Valley and around Idaho agree with many priorities set in the new Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce 2008 Legislative Agenda. But some have additional priorities, officials said at a joint chamber legislative breakfast Dec. 20 in Meridian.

For example, the Gem County and Eagle chambers will support creating an Idaho 16 interchange with Interstate 84; Nampa and Caldwell chambers will promote agri-business issues; and the Meridian chamber supports retaining existing sales and use tax exemptions. Meridian also supports clarifying the “ordinary and necessary expenditures” clause in Article 8, Section 3 of the Idaho Constitution regarding borrowing.

John Watts of the Idaho Chamber Alliance said that in north Idaho, the top issue among chambers is workforce development, followed by water supply and transportation. In eastern Idaho, the top issue is repeal of the personal property tax on businesses, followed by urban renewal and transportation.

Magic Valley chambers have workforce development as the top priority, followed by urban renewal and transportation, he said. Transportation tops the list in the Treasure Valley, followed by urban renewal and expansion of local-option taxing authority.

2 Comments

Idaho Chambers should really consider home-rule powers for all Idaho towns & cities above a certain population size. As we are the ONLY western state without it, that constitutionally-protected doctrine alone would given them ALL the tools they need to get things done.
Comment By Bill Sellers Idaho Falls
Thursday, December 20, 2007 @ 1:10 PM

Bill,
It must be wonderful knowing that all of the issues above can be solved with a single solution. Let's see, it seems like the local school boards/districts have had that ability for years and it sure seems like they have done a real bangup job. Why else would they sue the state.
Comment By rick
Monday, December 24, 2007 @ 8:24 PM

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